A Fairy's Tail
by Thorn the Laughing Willow
Summary: In the wake of Fairy Tail's win at the GMG, Lucy finds herself experiencing strange dreams; visions of a terrible future. With the help of her spirits, her guild, and the light of Fairy Tail, our favorite celestial mage intends to beat back the darkness that threatens to swallow the world. Eventual LucyXLaxus, Lalu. Side pairings included.
1. Dreams and Distractions

**Hello and welcome sports fans to my second published FanFiction! I know few people will actually read this part, so I'll make it short. This is my first Fairy Tail fic and as a warning it will likely include violence, gore (but not of the Al variety), foul language, possible character death (no one from Fairy Tail though), and potentially explicit scenes (if I can find the courage). Know that we jump right into the plot here. Please notify me of any errors you may see if there are any!  
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**A quick shout out to my invaluable Beta Reader, Kiteria Faye! I thank you for everything you've done! And on with the show!**

**Disclaimer: All rights reserved for Fairy Tail creator, Hiro Mashima. **

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**A Fairy's Tail: Chapter 1**

**Dreams and Distractions**

By: Thorn

_"Lucy."_

"No. Go away. Leave me alone."

_"Why do you ignore me? Lucy, I have so much to give you. Come to me. Come to me, Lucy, child of heaven."_

"No, I don't wanna." Lucy tossed in her sleep, her half-coherent mumblings becoming even more distorted by her pillow.

_"You will come. I know you will."_

"No. I won't."

_"Oh, but you will. War is upon us Lucy. You know it. You've sensed it, just as I have seen it. The dark descends upon us. What will you do, my little spirit mage? You and your friends, and the entire human race are at a loss. The Gates of Hell are opening and they will unleash upon the world an evil that will devour us all. Your friends who hold so steadfast to the light will be the first to fall, and once they're dead and gone what will you do? When only you are left, how will you live? Could you even live with yourself after everyone you know and love is dead?"_

Images. So many images. Dark and terrible ones of twisted corpses, charred and blackened, shriveled or melted. Images that could never be bleached from the mind, terrified the spirit mage. And blood; blood enough to fill a river or sea as it stained her mind.

The voice spoke again, this time with a slight remorseful tone to it.

_"Is this what you want my dear? To walk alone in this hell upon the Earth? For this is the fate that shall befall us all should you stay away. That pink haired one, he will be one of the first."_

An image of Natsu, or what was left of him, came to Lucy's mind, and tears fell from her tightly clenched eyes. Her dearest friend and partner lay on the ground, his body strewn across the broken timbers of what was once their guild hall. His mouth was open, little fangs bared, in anger or outrage, but his eyes were unseeing, blank, and most obviously dead. His throat was nothing but a red and torn mess of crimson flesh as if it had been simply ripped out.

"No." She was sobbing now.

There was almost unnoticeable sympathy in the voice now.

_"Then the young."_

Wendy and Romeo, hands clutched tight within the palms of the other, had faces which were frozen in contorted pain. Another scene. Asuka lay propped against a crumbling stone, peaceful, as though she were asleep while her body was blanketed in ash and blood. Her parents, Bisca's and Alzacs's, bodies lay only feet away.

"No!" Lucy shouted, but the voice continued.

_"And soon enough, everyone will be gone."_

And they were. The scene changed again, and Lucy found herself standing in a lone field, the wildflowers were dry and withering, smoldering trees lined what was likely once a beautiful place. Wind whistled past her ears but there was little sound to be carried to her.

"Why are you doing this to me? Why do you torture me so? What have I done to you?" She whispered pitifully since the voice hadn't listened to her shouting.

_"Nothing, my dear. I do not show you this to torment you. I do this to save you and those you love. I show you only the truth as it will come to pass, nothing more and nothing less. We want the same thing, we are allies, you see."_

"And what is this shared want of ours, then?" She asked bitterly. Lucy walked forward in the landscape, her steps crackling as she moved.

_"Fairy Tail."_

"Fairy Tail? What do you want with my guild?"

_"Not yours, dear. Ours. It is our guild and our kin who we want to keep safe."_

In the corner of her eye she could see a light, and as she turned, she found a sphere of pure blue-white light hovering just a hairsbreadth off the ground. On its face was the Fairy Tail mark in an inky black color, but it seemed somehow transparent. Squinting her eyes, Lucy could see there was something within it, but when she took a step closer to investigate a massive pulse was sent out in all directions from the orb. It was so intense in its power that it sucked the air from Lucy's lungs and forced her to her shaking knees. It was unlike any power she had ever felt before. It rivaled Acnologia in its abundance but was warm unlike that of the Apocalypse Dragon, near scalding in fact.

It felt like hours, but was likely mere moments, before the strange magical power ebbed away and Lucy finally found the breath to speak.

"Who are you?" She asked, but then shook her head and corrected herself. "No, what are you?"

A laugh was all she got in response at first, then the voice spoke again.

_"All in good time, my dear, all in good time."_

"No, tell me now! What do you want? Why me?!" There was a pause, as if whoever it was who was speaking to her had suddenly vanished. "Hello?"

_"Tomorrow, dear. Come to me tomorrow, and all will be explained."_ The light orb began to fade.

"No, please, wait!" But the light continued to diminish, the scene fading.

_"Tomorrow, Lucy. Come to Me."_

"No!" Lucy sat straight up in bed, panting from exertion and her hand outstretched into the still darkness of the early morning. "No." she whispered.

It had happened again, and the dreams just kept getting worse. She had tried everything to banish the unsettling visions from her mind, but all attempts seemed to end in failure.

'Why now? Just when everything was starting to look up!' The whole of Fairy Tail had just arrived back home in Magnolia after their eventful reappearance at the Grand Magic Games. The celebration that had followed their homecoming had lasted well over three endless days. There had been brawls, drinking contests, glorified war stories of the past seven years' happenings, and more brawls to follow the first ones. Lucy had been quite surprised that she had lasted the entire 72 hours of partying. She held most of the credit for that to the numerous strawberry margaritas she had downed in place of the whiskey and tequila everyone else seemed to be partaking in.

The night after the memorable party had been when the dreams had started. That had been eight days ago, and they had distressed Lucy to such a point that she had yet to return to the guild. She had a feeling the others were worried for her, but after Natsu had paid a visit to her after the first two days, no one else had come to check on her. That suited Lucy just fine.

Natsu's visit had been enough to reduce her to a sobbing, hyperventilating mess. She had held herself together until her friend had left her apartment; it was after that she slid down her wall and fell deep into a panic attack. Loke had felt her very clear distress and had immediately forced his gate open to check on her. It had taken him nearly an hour to finally calm her down enough for her to tell him what had made her so upset.

The lion spirit was understandably concerned for his master, and had refused to leave her until he knew for certain she would be fine. Since then he continually returned to check on her at least twice a day just in case. It was sweet, and Lucy appreciated it. The last thing she wanted right then was to be alone. He was normally there when she first woke from her nightmares; she was only minimally surprised that he hadn't shown up yet.

As if that thought served as a summons, there was a bright shower of golden sparks outward from the middle of her room, before they warped to form the body of the very lion she had been thinking about. He was dressed in his customary suit and tie and wore a slight grin "Forgive me, Princess. I was too busy contemplating you utter beauty that I failed to notice that you had awoken, and-"

"Loke?" Lucy interrupted.

"Yes, princess?"

"If you were on a date, then just say so. It's fine, really. You should go back, we wouldn't want you to tarnish that oh so stunning reputation of yours, making all the ladies think you're the type to just leave a woman." She joked with him, returning his grin, though hers was not near as stunning or reassuring as his. Her hair was mussed and there were dark bags beneath her eyes. Dried tear tracks could still be seen on her cheeks.

"Lucy," His smile faded, his voice quiet, "How long have you been up?"

She waved her hand absently, "Oh, not that long; a few minutes maybe." He gave her a look that clearly said he didn't believe her. "Really Loke! Maybe five minutes at the most, I promise!"

The lion spirit seemed to relax and made his way over gently taking her into his arms, stroking her hair as he sat down beside her. "Sorry I was late."

"It's fine."

"No," He replied, "No it's not. You're here scared out of your mind and I'm running off, chasing tail like some horny dog. I shouldn't even be leaving you for the spirit world, much less-"

"Loke, I said it was fine and I meant it. You have a life back in the spirit world, and I understand that." She wiggled back in his grip to get a better look at him before she grinned, "I bet she was pretty, huh?"

Loke couldn't hold back his chuckle, "Yeah, she wasn't half bad. Nowhere near your caliber of beauty of course," He said with a wink, "but I suppose a lowly lion like me doesn't deserve such perfection."

Lucy laughed outright this time, shoving her spirit away from her. "Oh shut up, you pervy lion!"

He laughed with her before they both dissolved into silence. It was a few moments before Loke decided to break the silence, "How bad were they?" He asked quietly, almost unsure if he really wanted to know the answer.

Lucy gave him a sideways look before spreading her arms wide and falling back on her bed. She sighed, "Not as bad as they usually are I guess. Not near as many bodies as there usually are."

"Who was it this time?" He asked solemnly.

Her bottom lip quivered, and Lucy hastily wiped away the tears that were swiftly forming in her brown eyes. "Just Natsu. I saw Wendy and Romeo for the first time though, Asuka, too." She whispered "But they weren't nearly as bad as Natsu, or the others."

"Anything else different?" She knew Loke was troubled, she could tell by the way he talked and how he flopped back onto the bed beside her, their outstretched arms crisscrossing.

"She talked to me."

Loke's eyes widened, and suddenly he was hovering above her. "What?"

Lucy felt slightly unsure, "Sh-she talked to me, the voice. It's a woman, I know it is now."

He looked aside, growling to himself, "Well?"

Lucy blinked in confusion, "Well, what?"

"What did it- she- say?!"

Lucy thought back. It had been difficult to remember the voice from her dreams ever since they started. She could only ever seem to notice the pictures and death from her night terrors, never the words said. She would remember little bits and pieces, but the night before seemed strangely clear though it still took effort to recall the exact word.

"She said she wanted me to come." Loke's eyes widened, and Lucy realized her mistake. She shrieked, pushing him off of her as she stood "Not that 'come' Loke, you damn pervert! She wanted me to go to her. She said she would give me something, something that would prevent everything I've seen so far from happening, and also a bunch about war, and death and the Gates of Hell." Her brow furrowed, "She called me a child of Heaven."

He tried to hide his shock, he really did, but he couldn't stop the widening of his eyes as he openly balked at his master, "She what?" He whispered. On the inside he was panicking. Someone had found out; someone knew. Not even Lucy knew, how could anyone else?

"She called me a 'Child of Heaven'" The stellar mage furrowed her brow at Loke. "What did she mean, Loke?"

"I-" He stopped himself and turned his face away, "I don't know." He whispered. There was a momentary silence, "Did- did she say anything else?"

She nodded her head, "Our guild."

"Huh?"

"Fairy Tail, she called it 'our guild.'"

"Well of course it's our guild!"

Lucy gave her spirit a flat look, "No, dumb-dumb. 'Our' guild. That's what she said, as if she were a part of it."

"So," Loke hesitated, deep in thought, "so she's a member of the guild?"

She sighed, "I don't even know. I didn't recognize her power from anywhere, I don't think. I know she isn't evil though, her power was just far too warm and- just warm. I can't explain it."

"You felt her? Her power?" Lucy nodded. "Could you recognize it again?"

She looked strangely at the spirit. "Loke I don't think I could forget that magical pressure if I tried. I'd recognize it anywhere, I'm sure of it."

The lion spirit was silent for a few minutes more, his eyes gazing out into the darkness of the too early morning. Lucy could see that he was once again deep in thought, and refrained from disturbing him. When he turned his gaze back to his master, she could see a resolve in his eyes.

"Well then," He stood, brushing the imaginary dust from his slacks, "Lucy, I suggest you get dressed."

"Huh?"

"Something comfortable," he continued, stepping forward and past Lucy "but cute, although that is a given with you, isn't it my Master? I'll return once I have attained proper clothing myself."

"Wait, Loke!" He looked back at her, "What the hell are we going to be doing? And why do I need to be dressed?"

He shot her a winning grin, "We'll be taking a vigorous run around the town of Magnolia before the sun rises, thus your need for comfortable clothing, and then proceed to the guild hall for breakfast, thus your need for _cute_ clothing."

"W-what?" Lucy was shocked, scared and nervous all at the same time, "N-no! Loke I can't! I just can't go there! Not after- after everything that I've seen. It's too hard. I can't." Her voice broke at the end and tears were leisurely making their way down her face.

Loke was in front of her in an instant, holding her at arm's length by the shoulders, "Hey now! Lucy, come on! I know it's hard, but you gotta move forward. You can't let this ruin you; you're stronger than that." His thumb wiped a tear away, "Just hear me out. If it's someone in or around Magnolia you'll easily feel it, right?" She nodded her head. "And she says she's a part of Fairy Tail, right? So we go to the guild afterwards and see if you can recognize it there. Alright?"

The stellar mage thought, and she knew her spirit was right. That did nothing to cure her nervousness, though. "Loke, I get that but I- I can't-"

"Come on Lucy. I'll be with you every step of the way. I promise. I'm not going to let anything hurt you. I haven't before, and I won't now!"

With a sigh, Lucy gave a weak smile, "I guess I had better get dressed then, huh?"

A grin stretched across Loke's face, "That's the spirit! Well, I'm the spirit," Loke winked, "but you get the point." Lucy nodded her head, smiling as Loke vanished in another shower of golden sparks and dust.

It took her all of two seconds to find proper clothes, a skimpy blue tank top and pink running shorts accompanied by her customary boots, before she made her way to the bathroom. She was reluctant to raise her gaze to the mirror, knowing that what she would see there wouldn't be pretty. Her hair was tangled and matted on one side of her head, and her cheeks were pale and wet with tears. Her normally shining brown eyes were half lidded and lackluster.

She cupped her hands to splash some cold water on her face before pulling a golden key from her belt. She knew all her spirits were worrying over her. Except Aquarius probably, but she hadn't been summoned since the GMG, something the mermaid was likely very happy about. Hopefully calling some of them out would help to ease their minds at least for a little while.

"Open, Gate of the Crab. Cancer!" After a puff of gold-colored smoke the spirit stood before her, scissors in hand.

"How can I help you, ebi?"

"Hey Cancer," Lucy replied with a light smile, "I was wondering if you could just brush my hair and put it up for me for some jogging later. I don't really feel up to it myself today."

"Of course, ebi." Though there were dark glasses over his eyes, she knew he was happy she had called him as he eagerly ushered her into the other room and sat her down of one of her plush lounge chairs. Within a few minutes, her hair was washed, brushed, shined, and put into a high, curled ponytail with little ringlets of hair framing her face. The style was a little fancy since it would likely be ruined by the end of the morning, but Lucy didn't plan on telling Cancer that.

Lucy didn't have to look at her reflection to know that she looked ten times better now. "Thank you, Cancer. You can go back now." As soon as he had left, Loke chose that moment to reappear as well.

His suit had been replaced with a green tee-shirt and cargo shorts. In his hands were two water bottles, one which he tossed to Lucy. "Ready to go, Princess?" She nodded her head the affirmative.

Their run was brisk and silent, each simply enjoying the company of the other. By nine o'clock they had circled the entire town three times and the sun was a fair ways into the sky before they set their destination on the guild hall. As they got closer to the building Loke could see his master shivering. Being the middle of spring, the air had a warm element to it, so it obviously wasn't from being cold.

He slung an arm over her shoulder as they stood just in front of the door. "Don't worry, Princess," He reassured, "I promised I wouldn't let anything happen to you. We'll just walk in, sit down, I'll buy you some food, and then we can set on finding that power source."

Lucy sighed, "I know, Loke. I'm just worried. I didn't feel so much as a trace of her power on our run though. If it is someone from Fairy Tail, I don't know how I'll react."

"Eh, no sweat! We'll cross that bridge when we come to it." And with that he pushed open the doors and immediately ducked, taking Lucy with him, as a table, three chairs, and what looked like a screaming Warren flew over their heads.

"Huh, looks like we're not the only ones who got an early start this morning." Loke grinned.

Arm in arm, to two picked their way carefully through the wreckage of the guild hall, stepping over the unconscious, and pushing each other out of the way of flying debris. Glancing around the hall, Lucy could see the main instigators of the brawl were, unsurprisingly, Gray, Natsu, and Elfman. Gray was being held in a choke hold by Elfman, who was in a choke hold by Natsu, who was yelling at Gray for being weak and stupid.

Nope; nothing unusual there.

As if sensing her presence, Natsu looked up from his captive, who was going blue from lack of oxygen, to look straight at Lucy. He grinned a fanged, carefree smile at her that made the stellar mage want to cry. Instead she offered her friend a tremulous up turning of the lips that seemed a sad excuse for a smile though the dragon slayer didn't seem to notice any difference and immediately turned back to the fight.

When Lucy and her spirit finally made it to the bar Mira had already set out a strawberry smoothie and a beer for them at Lucy's usual spot.

The take-over mage herself stood behind the bar in front of the pair's drinks, polishing a glass and smiling as the two sat down. "Well if this isn't a surprise. What are you two doing here, together?" There was a subtle, teasing twinkle in her eyes as she spoke.

"Come on Mirajane," Lucy argued, "you know it's not like that. Me sleeping with Loke would be like sleeping with a brother; it would be like you sleeping with Elfman!"

Mira giggled despite the rather disturbing imagery, "A girl can hope, can't she?" She raised a brow at Loke when she turned back to face him, "Actually, what are you doing here, Loke? It's good to see you as always, but you haven't been out of the spirit world in a while. Any particular reason for visiting?"

He replied swiftly and seamlessly, "No real reason, just thought it'd be nice to see everyone again, and I haven't just hung out with Princess in a while. You know how torturous it is for me to be away from such a lovely master as Lucy."

"Loke!" Lucy cried.

Mira laughed, "Of course. I can only imagine how terrible it must be for you. Anything else I can get you two?"

"A plate of lox for the lion, a ham omelet and cheese Danish for me, all on Loke's bill." Lucy replied.

"Hey, what do you mean on my bill?" Loke protested.

"Well you're the one who wanted to go out for breakfast; therefore you get the honor of paying. Anything for your lovely princess, right? And you already said you'd buy me breakfast."

"I suppose so," Loke sighed, "On my bill then, Mirajane."

The silver haired woman turned her back on the pair as she left to prepare their breakfasts. Lucy took a long, smooth sip of her drink while Loke chugged his beer down with a fair bit of elegance for the rate at which he was drinking.

"Anything yet?" He asked once the bottle was empty. He was glancing over his shoulder curiously at the others in the guild as if waiting for someone to approach them. His eyes wandered. Those who weren't unconscious were for the most part trying to knock each other out, save a few of them.

Gajeel, Pantherlily, and Levy were all sitting in 'Gajeel's corner' of the guild, the girl with her nose in a book while the Exceed and dragon slayer discussed weapons and fighting styles. Lily was happily munching on a half eaten kiwi all the while. As if sensing he was being watched, the iron slayer jerked his head up to meet the lion spirit's calculating gaze. He raised a brow, scowled, and turned back to his conversation allowing Loke's gaze to move on.

The Raijinshu were at their customary table near the edge of the hall. Bickslow was laughing at something he had apparently found absolutely hilarious while Evergreen glared hotly at the strange man. Freed was busy speaking to Laxus in hushed tones that even Loke's feline like ears couldn't pick up. Laxus maintained his disinterested expression despite how he occasionally clenched his fist around his beer before taking a large swig. He also knew that Loke was watching them by the way he would glance out of the corner of his eye in their direction.

"No," She answered meekly, "I haven't started looking yet."

"Lucy-"

"I'm scared, alright?!" She whisper-yelled. "I just- I don't know."

Turning to his master, Loke could see the ever-present fatigue in her body. The way her shoulders slumped, the blank expression in her once cheery eyes. This was tearing her up inside, he could see it as surely as he could feel it. He took her hand so as to reassure her.

"I'm right here Lucy, and I won't leave your side." He took a deep breath, and answered in a hushed tone, hoping it was enough to keep the curious ears of the dragon slayers at bay. "You want the nightmares to end, right? You want what the visions you've had not to be true, right?" Lucy nodded reluctantly, "Then look."

Lucy conceded and taking a moment to even her breathing, she closed her eyes and expanded her senses, observing and feeling the magic powers of all those in the guild. The magic signatures all varied from weak or immature, to huge and swelling, all varying in texture, and feel as Lucy touched each one gently. The intimacy of touching another's powers was a gift reserved strictly for stellar mages. Normally, touching another's power would cause sickness or disorientation, like how Natsu became sick after eating an element other than fire. However celestial spirit mages could touch nearly any element without such consequences since their skills were based primarily in their ability to bond with the varying magics of their spirits. Lucy had become adept in the skill of identifying magic sources through her hours of relentless meditating.

While there were many powerful energies in the guild hall, there were none anywhere near as powerful as the one she had felt in her dream. She shifted her senses to the second floor, but it appeared as though it was still yet to be occupied for the day. Hesitantly, she shifted her senses again, to the basement this time, and then lower. And there it was, she felt it. It was clouded, and weaker than before, but it was there. She felt it!

Lucy gasped lightly, coming out of her trance suddenly as Loke took a hold of her shoulders to steady her. "Well?" He asked.

She gave a wordless nod, "The basement," She whispered, "I'm gonna need a distraction."

Loke grinned, "Oh, I can make a distraction! But you'll owe me for this one." He reached over the counter, grabbing another beer and quickly chugged it down. "I'll meet you down there, as soon as I can get away."

More time than Lucy thought had passed since she began her investigation. More people were muddling about in the main hall, and the second floor was now occupied by those wanting more privacy. The early morning brawl had ended and the room was miraculously back to its original orderly state, but Lucy had a feeling that whatever 'distraction' Loke planned to stage would leave it worse than it had been earlier; such was the way of the mischievous lion.

"You better eat fast, I doubt your food'll be here when you get back, or the bar for that matter." Loke suggested with a grin.

Glancing down at the counter, Lucy saw that her food had arrived and though not steaming hot, was still slightly warm. She ate quickly, and nodded to Loke when she was finished, signaling him that she was ready for whatever he had planned. There were now two more empty beer bottles on the counter, with a half full one tilted against his lips; he must have finished his breakfast while she was busy.

"Alrighty then," He finished his fifth drink, and pulled Lucy close by the arm, "Ready?" He whispered, and she nodded in return. "Good." Loke grinned. Then he gasped suddenly, stood up abruptly, and yelled in clear outrage as loud as he was able, "What do you mean Laxus tried to sleep with you against your will, Lucy?!"

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**And We're gonna leave it at that for now! I'm so cruel aren't I, having a little cliff hanger in the very first chapter! I promise there's more where that came from! I already have the first five chapters written, but won't be posting them for a little while. Although some reviews of encouragement might persuade me to post and write faster... just a thought! **

**I love you guys! And hope you enjoyed the first chapter!**


	2. Truths and Tails

**Hello dear friends and here, back by popular demand! I have for you chapter 2 of A Fairy's Tail, and just as a warning to you all, the title of this story will be changing, I don't know what I'll change it to yet, but I'll be sure to put "New Title (previously A Fairy's Tail)" and leave it like that for a little while before dropping the "previously…" part off. It's funny, when I started writing this a few months back I was like "A Fairy's Tail? Oh my gosh best name ever!" and now I'm just like, "Why the hell did I think that was even remotely fitting?" Same with the summary which I also already changed. **

**I'd like to give a big shout out to all of you who reviewed my story, they were all very heartwarming! And I'm glad you liked the first chapter's ending! I had a lot of fun writing that part as well as all the following scenes which include Lucy and Laxus. You'll notice my stories tends to be a little bipolar with the mood changing suddenly and often, but I guess you are what you write! **

**Anyways, another big thank you to my beta reader Kiteria Faye, and yes you will be thanked with every chapter update, just so you know!**

**Disclaimer: All rights reserved for Fairy Tail creator Hiro Mashima **

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**A Fairy's Tail: Chapter 2**

**Truth and Tails**

By: Thorn

The idle chatter in the room died down instantly as everyone heard the spirit. Lucy was left mouth agape in shock, her mouth gasping like a fish out of water. 'That sneaky, twisted, perverted little sh-' Then just as suddenly as the silence began, it ended.

A collective and outraged "WHAT?!" echoed throughout the guild, but none were louder than the accused dragon slayer himself.

The atmosphere of the guild turned suddenly dark, and glancing above Lucy saw a more than furious Erza balanced on the banister to the second floor in her purgatory armor. "You dare try to defile our Lucy?! Unforgivable!"

Similar shouts rang out from equally furious people as everyone glared at Laxus aside from the Raijinshu who looked just as shocked as their leader.

"You pervert," Mirajane growled, now in Satan Soul.

Gray was readying for attack, his hands in position, "Bastard, I'll kill you for trying to hurt Lucy!

"What kind of man are you!?" Elfman. Obviously.

"No one messes with my Luce!" Natsu looked just as eager to tear into Laxus as everyone else.

"Poor Lu-chan! Gajeel, beat him up!" Levy said, her attention having been fully pulled away from her book.

"Yeah, Lucy! Get some!" Slurred/shouted an entirely inebriated Cana, though she was ignored.

"Laxus," Erza shouted, "you're dead." And all hell broke loose with almost every mage in the guild trying to kill, or at least maim, their strongest member.

"And there's our distraction," Loke whispered while grinning widely, clearly pleased with himself. He nudged his master with an elbow, "Go on, I'll catch up, just don't do anything dangerous." He threw himself into the fray, shouting in his best angry voice, "I will protect Princess' honor!"

It took a moment for Lucy to realize she was now alone, having been too surprised at the guild's sudden chaos. The blonde shook her head, out of her stupefied state, and nodded to herself before shuffling sideways. One step. Two steps; then she bolted for the back hallway. It was dark and abandoned. Lightly expanding her senses again, Lucy picked a door blindly towards the back of the hallway. There was a giant lock on the door, but Lucy could tell it was where the power was coming from and prayed it'd be unlocked. Luckily, it was. On the other side of the door was a simple stone room. The only thing in it was a single stone pedestal at the circular room's center. She approached it steadily, eyes locked solely on the stone table. Just as she reached a hand out to touch it, the room shook. Knocked off kilter, Lucy found purchase on the room's center piece and stayed upright. The floor spiraled down and away from her as one by one, blue-gray stone stairs formed and descended into the darkness.

Lucy gasped, the power felt closer than before, and she knew if she wanted to find the woman from her dreams she would have to venture below. Grasping Loke's key and holding it up, it glowed with a bright golden light much like the lion's fists in battle. It was enough to illuminate the narrow corridor as she hurried down the stairs, eager to find the source of her terrors. The descent took a good five minute even at Lucy's swift pace.

'Just how deep does this go?' Lucy wondered to herself as she kept going.

Towards the bottom, the stairs evened out to form a long, shallow ramp and the staircase opened to a stone room even larger than the antechamber above. The structure seemed as though it had once been a cave that was modified to connect with the guild. Corinthian columns rose out of the stone to surround the cavern from which banners of Fairy Tail were hung. On the opposite side of the stairs two magnificent doors were carved into the rock both with the mark of Fairy Tail etched into their surface. It was a magnificent place, so pristine; untouched by time.

Lucy approached the doors hesitantly, miniscule beads of sweat dripping from her brow in her nervousness. As she neared, she could finally see something scribed into the stone. "Lumen… Histoire?"

The instant the words were muttered, the doors creaked and swung open slowly, as if they weren't truly meant to be opened at all. Lucy lowered Loke's key as an even brighter light poured out of the room. And then it hit her; the power, the sheer unadulterated force of magic shot through her like a bullet. She gasped, and fell to her knees unable to stand against the torrent. When she looked up she saw it; the orb from her dreams, pure white and stamped with the Fairy Tail mark. Only now, up close and in the real world, she could tell it was more than a simple orb; it was a lacrima. Just as in her dream, she struggled to stand. Only this time she was able to stand after a minute or so of deep breathing. She walked slowly, unsteady, as if she were pushing through currents in a river, towards the shining sphere. Once she finally crossed the threshold to the chamber the door swung shut at just as leisurely of a pace as they had opened.

Lucy fell to her knees again, though, when the magical pressure suddenly dissipated. The air was thinner, and the atmosphere less oppressive.

_"Welcome, child. You know, you've kept me waiting a good long while with your indecision and hesitance. Do you not trust me?"_

Lucy froze. She called hesitantly, "Who's there? Where are you?!"

A laugh, then the voice spoke once more, _"What do you mean 'who' and 'where?' I'm right in front of you, dear."_

Stiffly, Lucy turned towards the only thing in the room besides herself; the lacrima. She stood just as rigid, and walked around the side of the lacrima, being close enough to touch it. The orb itself appeared as though it were fogged glass. Misty wisps of light swirled within the luminescence of it. Lucy had to squint, but she could see it. There was someone within the lacrima, a woman. Her arms were crossed over her breasts, with feet outstretched much in the shape of the Fairy Tail emblem. Upon closer inspection Lucy realized she was naked within the sphere, while her hair waded around in the contained wind of the thing. Her hair was ebony with drops of starlight in all colors glittering throughout it as though the strands were strung with tiny jewels. The woman's skin was pale- no, more than pale, it was stark white as a dove's feathers- and flawless. What struck the stellar mage the hardest though, were the paper-thin wings and arrow-like tail which sprouted from her shoulders and base of her spine. The tail was the same shade of black as her hair, sleek and deadly sharp while her wings appeared a dark cobalt blue, despite them being nearly transparent. They seemed so fragile and delicate almost as if the lightest whisper of wind would shatter them.

"Wh-what are you?" Lucy asked.

There was more laughter, though the figure within the orb didn't seem to move, till she lifted her head and looked straight at Lucy. The stellar mage sucked in a breath as eyes of the purest and shiniest silver locked with hers. Words echoed in her head despite that the woman's lips never moved, _"What do I look like?"_

"I-" Lucy hesitated, "I don't know. I've never seen anyone like you before," She whispered.

_"I can't say I'm surprised. I am a one of a kind nowadays after all. Tell me, what is the symbol on your hand?"_

The blonde's brow furrowed in confusion as she looked at her hand, replying, "It's the mark of Fairy Ta-" Lucy froze as she looked back into the lacrima; the woman's tail was flicking around lazily in front of her face. "Tail," She finished, her voice trembling, "No way. You mean you're- You're a fairy?!" Laughter was her only answer.

So much was her shock that she stumbled away from the huge orb, "How can that be? Fairies, they all died out hundreds of years ago, during the time of the dragon wars and Zeref. You can't- Can't be here! And even if you were, then why? Why have you been showing me all these things? What does this have to do with me?!" Lucy's voice escalated into hysterics, nervous and confused tears streaming from her eyes.

Just as she was about to begin her screaming anew there was a bright flash of light and a telltale shower of golden sparks. "Forgive the wait, Princess. I didn't think my distraction would have been so… distracting." The spirit emerged from the display back in his normal suit and tie, grinning happily and making his way closer to his master.

"Loke!"

_"I see the lion has decided to join us then?"_ Loke swung around instantly only to come face to face with the fairy within the lacrima who was now only inches away from the edge of the glass, carefully inspecting the spirit before her with a neutral expression. Loke stood ramrod straight and trembling; he couldn't help it, the power the woman had been exuding before was back and focused entirely on him. So many emotions passed through him while entrapped in the fairy's eyes; respect, awe, and likely more fear than he had ever felt in his infinite life. _"Are you afraid of me, King of Beasts? Does my power frighten you? I'm glad, since that was my angle."_

"Who? Who are you?! What do you want with my master?!" Though his voice was far from quiet Loke couldn't stop the trembling infliction of his voice.

_"What I want?"_ She asked _"It's hardly about what I want, but what your master wants; and in many ways what you want, little lion. You wish to protect the guild don't you; the guild and your master's happiness?"_

"That-" Loke hesitated, "That's all I want. Her happiness is the reason for my being. But you know that, don't you? I'm old enough to remember you; your kind. You all never cared before for the affairs of mortals, why do you care now about Fairy Tail?!"

The fairy in the lacrima smirked viciously, long canines pressing sharply against her alabaster lip, _"Old enough to remember, are you? Then you in all your infinite wisdom must know how Fairy Tail came to be, must you not?"_

"What does that have to do with anything?" Lucy reentered the conversation quietly.

_"Oh, my dear,"_ The fairy laughed, her shoulders trembling minimally with mirth _"it has everything to do with this. True, fairies saw humans as being no more than toys for their occasional amusement, but not all of us were as playful. I for instance, am far from being so degrading."_ She paused. _"What do you know of the first master, young one?"_

Lucy answered with little pause, "Mavis Vermillion was the first master and establisher of Fairy Tail over 100 years ago and to this day is the youngest person to ever establish a guild as well as being the youngest mage to ever gain the title of one of the Ten Wizard Saints. However she died only ten years after the construction of Fairy Tail under mysterious circumstances and for unknown reasons."

The fairy chuckled, _"Yes my dear, and while that is all true, that is not all she was. Mavis Vermillion, was then, and still is, my sister."_

Spirit and master replied with identical shocked shouts, "What?! What do you mean sister?!"

_"Fairies were originally the children of demons and angels, and while breeding amongst us was far more common after the first generation, I was born directly of a demon mother and angelic father. Some 700 years after my birth, my Father gave seed for another child, this one to a human mother, a woman by the name of Analise Vermillion. The daughter born of their union, as you have no doubt deduced, was one Mavis Vermillion."_ The two couldn't find the strength to speak above their own shock as the gravity of her words weighed on them. _"Had you never wondered how Mavis still exists on this plane despite being dead for nearly 100 years, herself? Angel blood is quite a miraculous substance; such beautiful creatures, they are. It is their blood which makes us all so stunning, and it tampers down our nasty tendencies. Without it we would be just as cruel as the demons who bore us."_

"But- but I fought a woman who could summon angels to her aid! Those things were hideous, and cruel." Lucy argued.

_"Ah, yes. Oh the irony of that mage, a woman named Angel who summoned angels."_ She chuckled._ "However, those beings weren't the angels of heaven. They were fallen beings and much weaker than those who live in the heavens. It would be impossible for any mere mortal to call forth and command a true angel. And even if one somehow managed, they would be killed near instantly simply from the immense pressure which comes with their presence."_

"Then how is it that the First Master could be born if her mother should have died the moment she came in contact with your father?" Loke asked skeptically.

_"I said, 'impossible for any mere mortal' As it were,__Analise__ was no mere mortal. She was in fact a celestial wizard. But not just any stellar mage; she was a child of heaven, herself, just like you, my dear Lucy."_

Loke stiffened, a new kind of fear shooting through him which clearly confused his blonde master. Loke wasn't one to show so much open fear, but the fact that that name came up again… "What do you mean like me? You said that before, what's a child of Heaven?"

The fairy gave a hearty laugh in their minds, _"You mean to tell me you haven't told her?!"_ She turned towards Loke, laughing, _"Eight years in her service and you never told her? Oh, that is rich, lion! Did you ever plan on telling her?"_

The spirit growled lowly, and yelled, "I didn't want to trouble her! She had more important things to worry about!"

"Loke," Lucy whispered, drawing his attention. The thought that her loyal spirit, one of her closest friends had lied to her, kept something from her, devastated her, even if it was supposedly for her own protection or convenience. "What is she talking about?"

"Our bond," Loke breathed just as broken, if not more so.

"Our bond?" she echoed.

_"Yes,"_ The woman interjected, _"The bond that was made between the two of you when you saved him from his untimely assimilation into the spirit world. When the spirit king said it was the lion's job to serve you for the rest of his life, he meant it quite literally. When you were trying to hold him within the realm of Earth, you entwined your powers with his quite intimately in order to hold him on our plane. So when he was allowed back to the Spirit Realm he did so with your magic still coursing through him. However, the exchange wasn't just one sided; as you fed him your power, what scant energy he had left was unconsciously flowed into you as it was, in a sense, flooded out. That exchange is constantly occurring between the two of you in a cycle, now. Though you are unaware of it, the lion feels it quite deeply; his loyalty to you and the magic that restored his life is unwavering because of it even if it is subconscious. Spirits are immortal beings, if they are hurt here then they simply return to the Spirit Realm where healing is instant. Should you ever be hurt so irrevocably on this plain, excess energy would flow from the Spirit Realm through Leo and into you. So long as that power continues to flow through you two your bond will not be broken and thus you, my dear, will never die. Even if you were to be ripped apart, limb from limb, you would regenerate. You and Leo are permanently bound, until death do you part."_

'Why does it sound like she's telling us we're married?' Lucy thought with dismal sarcasm. "That doesn't seem possible," She replied after a time, "Loke, why didn't you tell me?"

He didn't respond immediately. His head was down with his hair covering his eyes. His fists were clenched at his sides. His reply was mumbled, and quiet.

"What, Loke?"

"Because you'd hate me!" He snapped, spinning around to face her. Angry and sorrowful tears were streaming down his face, and Lucy didn't think she had ever seen him quite so broken even when he told her about his relationship with Karen. His shoulders were shaking as he collapsed to the cold, stone floor. "She's right, you know?! I feel it, the bond we have! I feel like I know more about you than I do about myself because of it! So I know; I know you don't want this! To selfishly live while everyone around you, everyone you love, dies and you stay untouched by time; I know that's not something you want! But there's nothing I can do, and even if there was, I don't think I would do anything about it! Because, to be with you, for the rest of eternity, I'd give anything for that, even if you would hate me for it. But I don't want you to hate me. I love you more than anything Lucy! You're the only Master I ever want to have."

While the fairy's face had changed again, somewhere between a smirk and sympathy, Lucy was crying just as much if not more than Loke.

"Loke," Lucy whispered, dropping down on one knee in front of him. Her hands cupped the lion spirit's tear-stained cheeks as she placed her forehead against his, "You think I'd hate you?" Loke couldn't bare to look her in the eyes but it was difficult to find anywhere else to look when she was so close. "I could never hate you Loke!" She whispered fiercely, "You are my brother, if not by blood then by soul and magic. You're right, though. Look at me Loke," He hesitantly raised his gaze to meet hers, "immortality isn't something I would have asked for, but we play the hands we're dealt. If I had known back then, eight years ago on that cliff, that saving you would mean I never got to see my mom and dad again wherever they are after death, that wouldn't have mattered; I would have saved you anyway!" She paused and her serious expression melted into an encouraging smile." Just think! Not only will I always be by your side, but I'll always be a member of Fairy Tail. I can watch over the future generations, protect them, and ensure that Fairy Tail will forever be the strongest guild in Fiore; hell, the whole world! Oh! Not to mention I'll have plenty of time to finish my novel! So no rush," She smiled warmly. Loke couldn't help but give a light chuckle at that one.

"You're too perfect, Master."

Lucy giggled, "Oh, come on now! You know how I feel about being called 'Master,' I've only told you, like what? Twenty thousand times?"

_"As touching as this is, dear,"_ The fairy interrupted, _"I do believe we have other things to discuss?"_

Lucy nodded, whispering to Loke, "We'll talk more about this later."

Nodding in return, Loke stood, pulling Lucy up with him, "So," He said, after finally composing himself again, "to recap, you're a fairy, First Master's half angel, and Lucy's immortal. How exactly does this tie into, well, anything?"

"It ties into the end of the world-" Lucy drew a sharp breath. "-and our efforts to avoid it."

"Well, as I'm now aware, even though I'm immortal, I'm hardly strong enough to prevent the death of billions around the world," Lucy relented.

_"True enough,"_ The woman conceded, _"however you are the only person sturdy enough to gain the power required to do just that."_

"What's that supposed to mean?" Loke asked.

_"It means that the Spirit world energy flowing through her makes her not entirely human, making her the ideal choice."_

"What about the dragon slayers? They aren't entirely human either, and are in a way 'sturdier' than even Lucy is. She can still be hurt, she just can't die."

The fairy made a soft scowling face, _"True, but if you haven't exactly noticed, all the dragon slayers are, in fact, male."_

"Wendy's a girl," Lucy offered.

_"-and far too young. You are mature, and have both a large first origin and an even larger second origin. Not only that, but your capacity for compassion and your lacking desire for power will ensure that once you have this power and the smoke has cleared that you won't abuse any of it."_

Loke's still red eyes narrowed, "And what exactly is this 'power?'"

The Fairy grinned smugly, _"I will gift her with my own vast stores of power. With it she will be more than capable of safe guarding the future."_ Her eyes lowered in thought, and almost remorse, as she turned to face Lucy. _"There would be no need to even use you as a vessel if I was capable of leaving this shell, but after so many years within it my body would fail the instant I left. I would not push this burden on you if there was any other way, but alas, we are not so lucky."_

She paused to look around the chamber as a whole before her body physically sighed and her mouth finally moved with her words_,__ "There is not much I can promise you, Lucy, and the little that I can is not pleasant. I can promise that it won't be easy and despite all the efforts you may make, there is a reasonable chance that we will still loose; not all fates are avoidable. I promise that there will be pain, and suffering for both you and your- our family. In spite of this, however, should you succeed, if you are able to stop the darkness which looms over this world and threatens to consume it, I promise you happiness. And love. And a life truly worth living. All I need you to do is act on what you know is right, and for you to take my hand and trust me."_ Slowly, her elegantly pale and clawed hand glided to press against the glass like surface of the lacrima, before it breached the surface and gestured to Lucy. As it did so, the hand withered; the smooth skin began to shrivel and crinkle as bones became more and more pronounced.

Lucy spared a concerned glance to Loke who looked at the hand quizzically. His nervousness and unease came off in waves, but despite that he nodded, without looking at her as if understanding her silent question. His jade colored gaze peaked out the corner of his eyes and he smiled in reassurance. Though it was off kilter, lopsided and forced at best, it told Lucy exactly what she needed to know, 'I'm here, you know I won't go anywhere.'

The stellar mage's hand lifted shakily towards the fairy's hand, but it flinched back minutely when she felt the cold wave of air the appendage seemed to exude. She audibly gulped, "The darkness. What is it exactly, and how do you know so much about it? There's something you're not telling us."

The elder female tilted her head and smiled a surprisingly tender smile, _"There has been a blemish on my bloodline for more than 400 years, one that I should have removed from this earth while it was still in infancy. I admit my father wasn't my only parent to have tryst with a human. My mother had a lover once, a mage of insignificant ability, but my mother was plenty strong to make up for that. The child she bore to him- It should have never survived, I shouldn't have let it survive. Angel blood is a powerful thing; I felt mercy and pity for the thing. I let it live. And for the mercy I showed to that one child, thousands upon thousands of innocent lives were lost.__"_ She paused in the thought, _"__The reason I know that this darkness is coming is because its orchestrator is of my blood, if only half. My brother, half-brother, is everything I feared he would be. Cruel, unrelenting, and deranged past all recognition of humanity; he believes life itself is a sin. For this he cannot be allowed to succeed, Zeref must be stopped."_

Lucy's eyes widened in both shock and fear, "Z-Zeref?" She whimpered.

_"Yes, Zeref, my younger brother. Now please, allow me to lend you my strength."_

"But-" She paused, "What will happen to you?"

_"That is of little consequence and not for you to concern yourself with."_ She gestured her hand in emphasis. Lucy looked at the hand.

Finding resolve, the mage reached her hand the final distance, but it froze a mere hairsbreadth away, her head rising slowly to meet the Fairy's gaze one more time, "What's your name?"

She never received an answer for the proffered hand darted forward and grasped the stellar mage's. There was a bright flash of light, and Lucy's eyes dilated, the black pupils swallowing the earthen brown of her eyes before even the whites of her eyes bled to black. Then there was pain, and she screamed. It was ear-piercing and sounded strangled even to herself. The hand had seemed so cold before, but now it was scorching, hotter than even Natsu's flames could burn. Her skin burned away- her bones, too- and reformed instantly only to be burned away again and repeat. The bright light did not let up, and Lucy could faintly hear Loke's desperate cries above her own. And amidst the light, the mage's once brown eyes flashed, golden and shining.

The color began to leak, spreading from her once chocolate orbs to her skin as a wave of golden florescence stretched and bounded across her flesh. The light had covered her from head to toe, shimmering in a yellow haze. The light encompassing her form flashed three times before a new color dripped from her eyes. Black, like the fairy's hair, shot from the corners and raced across her form leaving winding trails of ink colored light that glowed low in contrast to the rest of her luminescent skin.

Minutes, which felt like hours to all those involved, passed before the blinding light began to ebb away and as it did, a soft voice echoed throughout the room, _"I, Luminara, last of the fey folk, Daughter of Gabriel, Progeny of Lilith, do leave to you, Lucy Heartfilia, Child of Heaven, my legacy. Be strong. Make me proud."_

The pain was finally gone, but it left her with the feeling of welling pressure deep within her, as if her skin had become far too tight. Lucy gasped, falling to the floor, she became all to aware of the cold marble slabs that pressed against her naked form. Loke rushed forward immediately dropping to his knees beside her and wrapped her in his suit jacket. The difference between the fire she had been in before and the only slightly chilled air left her shivering. Neither spoke. With her spirit's help she tried to stand, but it didn't feel right; it was awkward, but they managed.

"Luminara," She whispered, her head shooting up to look at the now empty lacrima. The fog still misted under its glassy surface but the woman, Luminara, was gone. The only evidence remaining of her existence within it was the drifting drops of colored starlight that fluttered alongside the fog. "She's gone."

"I guess," Loke voiced, looking off to the side and away from his indecent master, "it's up to us now. Virgo!"

A light puff of shimmering dust and the virgin spirit bowed before them, "Hai nii-sama, Hime-sama."

"Get Lucy some clothes, nothing too extravagant or flashy; as low key as possible," He responded.

With a nod the maid dispersed to return immediately after, a small pile of clothes folded neatly in her hands. "Please turn around nii-sama." He did so, and in a flash Lucy stood dressed in a simple tunic shirt of blue and yellow silk and tight black denim jeans. A new leather belt was also provided. Somehow her keys and whip had survived the massive inferno and were now clipped to said belt. The sleeves of the shirt flowed past her fingertips which Lucy took notice were now tipped with lethally sharp claws. She nearly panicked at the sight of them. "Virgo! A mirror please?!"

Loke looked more than worried, and quickly interjected, "That won't be necessary, Virgo. It can wait till she gets home." He saw how she looked, and most of it could all be easily covered but that didn't mean any of it was subtle. She seemed distressed enough as it was with so many things that would be changing. To have something so familiar as one's own face change…

"No, Loke," She ground out, "It can't!" The poor female spirit was left looking between her two superiors though her face never expressed her confusion. "Virgo? Please?" She insisted.

"Hai, Hime-sama," She finally replied. In a shimmer of light a full length mirror appeared beside the spirit.

Lucy met her reflection's gaze hesitantly and was shocked at the results. She looked so different; alien to herself as if the face she saw belonged to someone else. Her eyes had an unnaturally thick shadow coating her lids which swept seamlessly into the black markings that danced across her cheeks and down the rest of her body, mirroring the patterns of the black light that had been present earlier. They were everywhere; her nose, forehead, cheeks, ears, her arms as she lifted her tunic sleeves- no large expanse of skin was spared from the ink-like markings. What skin wasn't coated in the marks was now lightly tanned, like she had spent a week at the beach.

Her hair hadn't changed in style or length aside from the fact that it now hung in a curtain around her, having been released from the confines of her ponytail, but it seemed more shadowed with strands of new midnight hair running sparsely throughout it. And starlight- the same tiny tear drops of ruby red, emerald green, amethyst, caribbean blue, and others that hung in Luminara's hair now hung in hers. She lifted a hand to touch them, but found she couldn't. Instead her hand ghosted a path through them, wading out of the way before settling back closely together in a different array than before.

Even after taking this all in, her vision settled again on her eyes. Her once chocolate eyes were replaced with honey colored ones- not quite yellow, not quite brown. They resembled the color of golden wheat. That could go unnoticed, or easily brushed off as a trick of the light, but the gold wasn't the only color addition to her gaze. Black encompassed the outer rim of each iris thickly and spider webbed into both the gold and the white of her sclera. Her pupils too held an unnatural dark to them and refused to reflect any of the scant light in the room.

It was new, it was strange, and it was gorgeous. While she had never seen anyone the likes of Luminara, Lucy had also never seen anyone who held a candle to her now abnormal beauty.

"Lucy?"

She turned slowly, as if she were afraid to look away from the mirror, and that doing so would alter her even further, to meet Loke's worried gaze.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

The dark blonde didn't answer immediately, "I-," She hesitated, "I don't know Loke." She turned back to her reflection, looking it up and down. "I just don't know."

* * *

**Thanks for Reading! And be sure to leave a review for me! Constructive criticism is always welcome and much appreciated! Until next time! **


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